The present invention relates generally to dispensers and, more specifically, to comestible product dispensers.
In the food service industry there are a wide variety of devices that are used to dispense viscous comestible products. Such dispensers are commonly found in restaurants, convenience stores and other commercial eating establishments. Many viscous comestible products, such as cheese sauces and ice cream toppings, do not flow well at room temperatures and must be maintained in a heated condition during use.
A typical comestible product dispenser uses a pump and a connecting nozzle tube to transfer the comestible product from a heated product container to a dispenser nozzle. However, the use of such a dispensing apparatus has many disadvantages. Since the pump, receptacle and nozzle are in direct contact with the comestible product, each component requires frequent dismantling and cleaning to avoid contamination and bacterial growth. This problem is further exacerbated when dairy products are used with the dispenser. Many locales have health laws mandating daily cleaning of dispensers used with dairy products.
Many heated viscous comestible products used in dispensers tend to congeal as they cool. To properly clean a dispenser having congealed comestible product thereon, it is necessary to soak various dispenser components to loosen encrusted material. Additionally, the reuse of tubes and various components makes it difficult to rid the dispenser of all encrusted particles which can result in pathogen growth within the dispenser.
One method of reducing the number of components contacting the comestible product contained in the dispenser is to use individual comestible product holding bags that are inserted into the dispenser for use. A typical comestible product holding bag includes a fitment with an attachable tube that provides a passage for transporting comestible product from the bag and out of the dispenser. However, this adds additional cost to the bag and may require special dispensing equipment, such as a dispenser with a peristaltic pump which engages the tube or a dispenser with a connectable flow-through valve which requires frequent cleaning. Additionally, for bags which do not include a fitment, the deformable nature of such comestible product holding bags can result in portions of the bag obstructing the flow of product through the nozzle. This obstruction of the flow from the bag reduces the evacuation of bag contents and reduces dispenser efficiency.
Applicants have recognized that it would be desirable to provide a comestible product dispenser that is designed for simplified cleaning and that reduces nozzle obstructions caused by the crimping, or folding over, of bags containing comestible product.
Briefly stated, the present invention is directed to a system for dispensing a viscous comestible product. The system is capable of receiving a bag containing the viscous comestible product. The bag has a bag body and a bag nozzle. The system includes a dispenser having a dispenser body defining a chamber for receiving the bag. The chamber has a surface with an opening defined therein adapted to receive the bag nozzle. The opening has a perimeter. A first protrusion is disposed proximate to the perimeter of the opening. The first protrusion extends from the surface generally inwardly into the chamber and is adapted to abut and flex the bag body into a configuration facilitating a flow of the viscous comestible product therefrom.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a system for dispensing a viscous comestible product. The system is adapted to receive a bag containing the viscous comestible product. The bag has a bag nozzle. The system includes a dispenser having a dispenser body defining a chamber and a passageway for fluid communication between the chamber and an exterior portion of the dispenser. A cartridge is provided that has an opening defined therein and is detachably engageable with the dispenser. The cartridge is adapted to substantially enclose the bag with at least a portion of the bag nozzle disposed in the opening. The cartridge is configured so that the opening is aligned with the passageway when the cartridge is fully engaged with the dispenser.